Cell design for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy measurements on reactive gas samples

•Cell to hold UF6(g) for LIBS measurements designed and constructed.•Cell has potential application for other reactive gasses.•Materials of construction shown to be gas-tight, chemically compatible with UF6(g) and physically compatible with the lasers used for LIBS measurements. Uranium hexafluoride...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fluorine chemistry 2022-03, Vol.255-256, p.109951, Article 109951
Main Authors: Peruski, Kathryn M., Davis, Tara A., Chan, George C.-Y., Mao, Xianglei, Trowbridge, Lee, Martin, Leigh R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemical compatibility
Design
Gas sampling
INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Reactive gas
Lasers
Light water
Nuclear accidents & safety
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear reactors
Nuclear safety
Physical properties
Portability
reactive gas
Spectroscopy
Spectrum analysis
Uranium
Uranium hexafluoride
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Summary:•Cell to hold UF6(g) for LIBS measurements designed and constructed.•Cell has potential application for other reactive gasses.•Materials of construction shown to be gas-tight, chemically compatible with UF6(g) and physically compatible with the lasers used for LIBS measurements. Uranium hexafluoride (UF6) is the primary material used for the enrichment of uranium in the production of light water nuclear reactor fuels worldwide. Accurate, rapid quantification of uranium isotopic composition in nuclear materials is required for safeguards programs and nonproliferation purposes. One potential technique for isotopic measurements in uranium species in the field is laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Safe and effective application of LIBS to UF6 for enrichment measurements is uniquely challenging due to the chemical and physical properties of UF6, which necessitate specific handling procedures. The objective of this work is to design a cell for isotopic analysis of UF6 that is (1) compatible with chemical and physical properties of UF6, (2) compatible with LIBS laser, and (3) portable-sized for nuclear safeguards applications. Along with cell design, initial testing of the cell for basic performance and chemical compatibility is performed. As designed and constructed, the portable gas cell was gas-tight, chemically compatible with UF6, and withstood long-duration laser exposure. The cell has proven capability for handling reactive gasses, such as UF6, with specification application to isotopic analysis. [Display omitted]
ISSN:0022-1139
1873-3328
DOI:10.1016/j.jfluchem.2022.109951